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Amazon.co.uk Review
Both warmly funny and surprisingly touching, the one-off 90-minute BBC comedy Cruise of the Gods (2002) unites the twin comic talents of Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan for the first time. Brydon, whose Marion & Geoff brought him instant cult status and critical acclaim, plays Andy Van Allen, a washed-up actor who once enjoyed celebrity as the star of a TV science-fiction series but who is now down on his luck as a hotel porter. Desperate to rescue his self-esteem, but equally desperate to conceal his failure, he reluctantly embarks on a Mediterranean cruise for die-hard fans of the old show organised by uber-nerd Jeff Monks (David Walliams). To compound his humiliation, Van Allan's one-time costar, Nick Lee (Coogan), now a Hollywood big shot thanks to his starring role in Sherlock Holmes in Miami, gatecrashes the trip.
Elements of both Marion & Geoff's agonising pathos and the squirm-inducing embarrassment of I'm Alan Partridge feature prominently here as the merciless portrayal of geeky fandom slowly gives way to a more gentle, affectionate portrait of people whose lives were inexplicably touched by the fantastically awful Children of Castor (imagine a camp cross between Blake's 7 and The Tomorrow People). Unlike the sympathetically pathetic ex-husband of Marion, here Brydon plays a cruelly cynical and embittered character, whose self-loathing contrasts painfully with the annoying ebullience of Coogan's superstar. The supporting cast are all a delight, too: witness lugubrious Philip Jackson, as alcoholic writer Hugh Bispham, clashing hilariously with Walliams' deadly earnest super-fan over the interpretation of names in the show, which turn out to be nothing more cryptic than anagrams of Bispham's favourite curries. James Corden and Helen Coker are emotionally fragile followers whose lives intertwine unexpectedly with their heroes, while Brian Conley and Jack Jones gamely provide cameos. --Mark Walker
DVD Description
Andy Van Allen, former hero of a cult 1980s futuristic TV show is now a washed-up, bitter failure of a hotel porter, unlike his co-star, Nick Lee, who went on to fame and fortune in the USA. Out of the blue, Andy receives an unusual offer: the show's fan club has organised a 'celebrity cruise' and wants Andy to attend as the principal celebrity. Not only would this be the first holiday Andy's had for years, but they're offering serious money into the bargain. Once aboard, however, the paradise cruise is far from plain sailing. The combination of Andy's cynicism and his fans' adoration is bad enough to start with but unbeknown to him the cruise is set with a collision course with his mega-successful former co-star, Lee. With his world spinning out of control, can Andy finally get a grip, and become a true hero for his people?
DVD Special Features:
- Out-takes
- Deleted scenes (with commentary)
- Children of Castor Sequence Commentary with Declan Lowney (Director), Alison MacPhail (Producer) and Tim Firth (Writer)
- 30 minute video diary
- Photo gallery
- Scene selection
- Alternative Ending
Running Time: 90 minutes approx.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Wow, what a great find this comedy drama is. How it seems to have sunk without a trace is quite beyond me - fans of Steve Coogan may know that he says on the 'A Cock and Bull Story' commentary that this one-off has never been repeated and he can't understand why. Perhaps the greatest enjoyment of this show is how easy it is to relate to. For anyone who has ever been a fan of anything and obsessively followed their heros and collected every scrap of information about them, this is the show for you! The cast are uniformly excellent with James Corden providing the emotional heart of the drama and David Walliams perfectly personifying the slightly creepy sci-fi obsessive. Be warned if you are buying this on the basis of Steve Coogan, his screentime is limited. However, when Coogan is on screen he is magnificent, providing some of the funniest moments with his Children of Castor appearances. However great everyone else is, this show belongs to Rob Brydon who owns it from the moment he appears on screen. Brydon gives a remarkably complex performance, being both extremely unlikeable and also sympathetic at the same time. For Coogan and Brydon fans there is great fun to be had seeing them both play against type and against the image of them portrayed in the media. Coogan is warm, kind, enthusiastic and generous. In contrast, Brydon is frustrated, unpleasant and arrogant. It is also great to see Brydon get the chance to play a womaniser, who even resorts to wearing his old Children of Castor costumes to get a fan into bed! Overall a fantastic programme, well worth watching.
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you're expecting a Steve Coogan centric film then you'll be disapointed I would estimate he appears in about one-third of the film
Even if you've never dipped a foot into the water that is genre TV then you'll recognize many of the images. Fans dressed up as characters, fan-written episodes, seminars upon the hidden meaning of episodes.
Rob Brydon plays the former star of an 80's Scifi show -the effects and costumes bear an uncanny similarity to Blakes 7- who is now a hotel porter. In a bid to escape his life he grudgingly takes up an invitation to join a fan cruise for fans of the series, he's joined by the writer and someone who only ever appeared in the opening credits.
However despite (or maybe because of) his lowly real life it doesn't stop him taking on the airs of a prima-donna once he joins the cruise. However his bubble is somewhat burst when Steve Coogan his co-star (and now a major star in Hollywood) joins.
Of course it wouldn't be British if there wasn't a large amount of tragedy to say to who and in what way would be to spoil the film.
Well worth it if only to see Coogan playing a cop in his US series (conveniently filming its "special" episode over in Europe)
One extra I heartily recommend is "Steve Coogans Runner" a short film about the behind the scenes happenings including a ship wreck and the sight of two male stars sharing not only the same room but the same bed!!!
Heartily recommend this film to all
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you've ever been a fan of anything - a football team, a band, a film star - but particularly anything vaguely SF (and not 'sci-fi', of course - that's for civilians), this masterpiece will have you laughing out loud, even though you realise you're laughing at youself!
Yeah, I've been there! My friend Paul used to organise Doctor Who conventions. Every element of this is totally recognisable - but it also makes a very serious point about a star's obligation to his fans.
The superb Rob Brydon plays a down-on-his-luck ex-actor, whose one shot at the big time, long squandered away, was in a Tomorrow People-meets-Blake's Seven type tv series called Children of Castor, high-concept science fiction on a bargain-basement budget (just like Doctor Who used to be before its recent renaissance, in fact). Deciding to appear as guest-of-honour on a fan cruise (strictly for the money, of course), he finds his past catching up with him, particularly when his co-star confronts him with his ridiculous degree of success on the woeful but extremely popular Sherlock Holmes in Miami (Steve Coogan, playing against type as the nicest human being imaginable).
The entire cast is wonderful , with special praise due to James Corden (is he gay or does his obsession with the star mean something else?) and Philip Jackson (best known as Poirot's Inspector Japp, here playing the embittered alcoholic writer who, at one point reveals that the names of all the characters in the tv series were anagrams of curries).
Just the use of music from the seventies makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end: It's A Knockout; New Faces ('you're a star, you're a star'...)
Brilliant writing by Tim Firth, who also wrote the hit West End Madness musical Our House - everything about this DVD is just perfect!
Yeah, I've been there! My friend Paul used to organise Doctor Who conventions. Every element of this is totally recognisable - but it also makes a very serious point about a star's obligation to his fans.
The superb Rob Brydon plays a down-on-his-luck ex-actor, whose one shot at the big time, long squandered away, was in a Tomorrow People-meets-Blake's Seven type tv series called Children of Castor, high-concept science fiction on a bargain-basement budget (just like Doctor Who used to be before its recent renaissance, in fact). Deciding to appear as guest-of-honour on a fan cruise (strictly for the money, of course), he finds his past catching up with him, particularly when his co-star confronts him with his ridiculous degree of success on the woeful but extremely popular Sherlock Holmes in Miami (Steve Coogan, playing against type as the nicest human being imaginable).
The entire cast is wonderful , with special praise due to James Corden (is he gay or does his obsession with the star mean something else?) and Philip Jackson (best known as Poirot's Inspector Japp, here playing the embittered alcoholic writer who, at one point reveals that the names of all the characters in the tv series were anagrams of curries).
Just the use of music from the seventies makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end: It's A Knockout; New Faces ('you're a star, you're a star'...)
Brilliant writing by Tim Firth, who also wrote the hit West End Madness musical Our House - everything about this DVD is just perfect!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A nice famlily TV-movie
It was allright. Felt like a family TV-movie. Brydon, Coogan and Walliams are always good. Spoiler: "Sherlock Holmes in Miami" LOL!
Published 1 month ago by Andreas Wiik
Speechless and didn't watch the whole thing as too painful !
Bought this as a huge fan of all the actors etc., and saw the great reviews here so thought it was a winner, but I can safely say it was the most unfunny bizarre thing ever. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs P !
good cast and personalities
Usual, reliable fare from Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan. Both engaging personalities who generally star in quirky, funny stories. This is no exception. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. FUSCO
Gentle comedy - highly enjoyable
I hadn't realised this DVD existed until having recently read Rob Brydon's autobiography. The details in the book about the making of this were very funny, and after reading that... Read more
Published 2 months ago by E. Craxford
Hidden Gem
This film is a must see for any Coogan,Brydon,Walliams or Corden fans.A real treat thats not shown on tv much. A great comedy with a slight dark edge running through it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by nobby
A bit laboured
Feels like a Los Angeles vision of what a British comedy should feel like.
OK I guess. Sloppy script, not as funny as it thinks it is. Read more
OK I guess. Sloppy script, not as funny as it thinks it is. Read more
Published 10 months ago by iliketowatch
Cruise of the Gods
I missed this little gem when it was originally shown. It's not bad. Not bad at all.
Published 15 months ago by Leslie A. Heaps
Warm, touching, and full of pathos.
Yet another of those one off BBC comedy drama's that seemed to be shown once never to be repeated again; 'Cruise Of The Gods' revolves around the character of 'Andy Van Allen' (Rob... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Ernie
A classic
If you love Rob Brydon you will love this, also has Coogan in and David Walliams, heart warming comedy gold
Published on 16 Jan 2010 by M. Jende
Sterling cast but a bit long winded in places
The cast of this one off comedy film reads like a Who's Who of today's TV movers and shakers. Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, David Walliams, and Man of the moment James Corden all star... Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2008 by sam155
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